Kensington Rune Stone Center

Douglas County, Minnesota

Discovered in 1898 by Swedish immigrant, Olaf Ohman, the Kensington Rune Stone purports to be a record of Scandinavian exploration of North America in the year 1362. While the original Rune Stone is now in the collection of the Rune Stone Museum in nearby Alexandria, Minnesota, the place of its discovery, the Ohman Farmstead, needed a more suitable facility to tell the story of the stone’s discovery and the man behind it.

Inspired by the stone’s storied past and its pristine setting, JLG designed a visitor and interpretive center on the Ohman Farmstead with solar-powered efficiencies and organic elements, including a Metagraywacke rock fireplace – a tactile reflection of the distinctive quartz unearthed over a century ago. The Center, in addition to its all-season park shelter, is managed by the Parks Department, working together to educate visitors, while bringing together friends, families, and explorers alike.

Photography by Silverman Be Remarkable.

Video

Visitor Center opens at Kensington Rune Stone Park

Awards & Certifications

  • 2018 – AIA North Dakota: Honor Award

Completion Date

2017